Omaha daily bee., 1887-09-17
Other Lands Than Ours.


Other Lands Than Ours.
1t seems evident that crisis of very
serious character is at hand in Ireland.
The sanguinary affair of Mitchellstown
and the killing of Constable Whelehan
are regarded as the fOrerunners OF more
serious troubles that cannot be long in
developing. The most trustworthy testi-
mony clearly fixed the responsibility for
the former upon the authorities, whose
unnecessary severity exasperated the peo-
ple beyond forbearance, while the latter
was the work of moonllghters, for which
the Irish people cannot justly be held
amenable. But the government will
not admit these facts. Anxious to justify
its course and policy, it insists upon
regarding the unfortunate occur.
rences as evidence of revolu-
tionary and criminal spirit among the
Irish people which rendered the crimes
bill q necessity and its enforcement
duty. The relentless attitude of the gov.
ernment and its harsh measures are ap.
parently accomplishing their evident pur-
pose in provoking the people to violent
resistance. The abuse and injury inflicted
hoVO ACuCHCo tuC Ol tOlcI-
alton, and it is said that neither leaders
nor priests will much longer be able to
prevent the pent-up passions from break
ing forth in acts the consequences of
which cannot be foreseen. Driven al
most to madness by tyrannical oppres-
sion, deprived of all liberties of speech
and action, without protection in their
homes or their persons against the
espionage and the outrages of malignant
enemies, the Irish people may reason
that life under such conditions is of no
value and that they may as we'll at once
challenge the worst that can come to
them. If the torch of civil conflict is
once lighted the disastrous consequences
to Ireland will be appalling. Un-
doubtedly English bayonets will triumph.
but 1t will be at fearful cost and to the
everlasting dlshonor of the British ma.
ton. During the recess OF parliament it
is expected that the governments policy
will be most vigorously pushed. Balfour
having already gone to Ireland doubt
less for the purpose of putting the ma
chinery in the most effective working
order for fully carrying out the pro-
GhoAhA oSeeioN upoh'
~.
Another change in the French ministry
| is said to be imminent the report being
| that Rouvier desires to withdraw. The
surface indications have been that the
ministry was getting on much better
than was expected, but there have evil
| IDENTIFY been inside dssensions of which
the public have obtained no knowledge.
| frances greatest misfortune aud danger
are in the frequency of these ministerial
crises. The manifesto of the Comte de
Paris is the present subject of chief inter.
est to the French people, and its possible
effect is still matter of conjecture. Under
different conditions it would probably
have received only passing regard, but
the count seems to have wisely selected
his opportunity and may win much lar
ger favor than the friends of the republic
would wish. The French people seem to
be entirely satisfied with the success of
their mobilization experiment, which has
been great, and very patriotic pleasures
by arresting as spies all the innocent
travellers who wear spectacles or show
any other signs of German origin. They
do not get any of the real spies, although
they have been plentiful around the
scere of the military experiments. The
spies volunteer from the ranks of most
intelligent young German officers. When
they become spies they lose their rank in
the German army. The government de.
clines all responsibility for them. If sue.
cessful they are awarded with rank much
higher than that which they held. They
are chraged with some special sort of es.
pionage, and do not go about taking
notes publicly and at rand ON, after the
manner of the innocents captured bv the
country G endarmes. The German gov
ernment has had goo and thorough re-
ports of the mobilization from unsus.
pected spies. In one case young Ger.
man officer speaking French fluently
actually got employment as correspond
ent on French newspaper, which gave
him access everywhere. He sent short
reports to his paper and very long ones
to the German embassy in London, from
which he rec eived his instructions.
-.
The extraordinary development of the
English common school system since the
passage Of the education act of 1870 Ii
strikingly set forth in the figures pre-.
sented in the house of commons by Sir
William Hart Dyke in submitting the ed
ucation estimates for the current year
In 1870 there were school places provided
for no more than 1878, 5S4 scholars, OIL
for SIS per cent of the then population Of
the country. There is provision now fol
1S.46 per cent, ami of the additional
amount l,574, s03 places have been sup
piled by voluntary effort and 1882, so,
by board schools. There are now in al
$500, ,GS5 school places for children. On
the school registers there ere %,o5a. ~